


you flash like a setting sun

by diors



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Magic, M/M, it's just a modern au with some magic thrown in lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 22:42:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10545572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diors/pseuds/diors
Summary: Falling in love with Minhyuk is easy. Actually dealing with this new realization, not so easy.





	

**Author's Note:**

> i'm currently writing another fic for them and i got so many ideas for it and i really wanna finish it in the next two weeks!! hopefully!!!
> 
> i might write more for this universe with different pairings because i kinda like it?? kudos and comments are appreciated, i hope you enjoy this <3

“Why are you bleeding?” Kihyun asks at the same as Hyungwon asks, “Doesn’t that hurt?”

They both stop and look at each other. Changkyun watches them.

“Who wants to go first?” he asks after both of them stayed silent.

Kihyun leans over the kitchen counter and wrinkles his nose at the sight. “You’re cleaning that up, right?”

“Yeah, don’t be worried about me or anything,” Changkyun says.

Kihyun rolls his eyes. “I know you can heal that. I don’t want any blood on _my_ cutting board－” He cuts himself off when Changkyun pops his finger in his mouth, the one he’d accidentally cut while slicing tomatoes. The cut wasn’t that deep, but it was deep enough for blood to start flowing. Kihyun pulls a face. “Don’t do that, c’mon.”

Changkyun releases his finger with a loud pop. “It’s faster this way.” He inspects his finger; the cut is gone and nothing's left, not even a scar.

Hyungwon, having stayed silent throughout the whole conversation, speaks up. “That’s kinda lame,” he says. Kihyun snickers. Changkyun debates throwing a bloody tomato slice at him.

“Terribly sorry that we can’t all shapeshift into a cat,” Changkyun mockingly replies. His eyes fall on Kihyun. “Or, you know...change our appearance.” He tilts his head to the left. “Yours is kinda lame, too.”

“Thanks for reminding me,” Kihyun deadpans. He blows a strand of his currently pink hair out of his eyes. “Maybe I’ll go brown again,” he mumbles absently.

“I would take healing over changing my appearance,” Hyungwon says. He glances at Kihyun. “Although it’s just changing your hair color, right? Changing your appearance would include changing your facial features.”

Kihyun glares at him. “Maybe I can do that too,” he replies feebly. “I just haven’t showed you guys.”

Hyungwon grins. “If you could do that, you would’ve already pranked us. That’s what I would do, at least.”

Changkyun perks up. “Oh, me too! I’d prank Hoseok hyung.”

“You’d give him a heart attack,” Kihyun replies. “I appreciate all my friends being alive and healthy.”

Something in Kihyun’s words catches Hyungwon’s attention. “Can you heal something like that?” he asks Changkyun. “Or just...paper cuts?”

“Just paper cuts and scratches,” Kihyun answers before Changkyun can open his mouth, smiling sweetly at him. “Do you still think it’s cool?”

“I never said it was cool,” Hyungwon shrugs, then grins teasingly at Kihyun. “Just better than yours.”

He snickers, deftly avoiding Kihyun’s kick by walking around the counter, taking a spot next to Changkyun. He pokes him in the cheek. “Is this supposed to be our dinner?” he asks, nodding to the vegetables on the cutting board.

“The salad for tonight, yeah,” Changkyun confirms, poking a lettuce leaf with the knife. “Maybe not,” he says when he notices some spots of blood.

Kihyun grimaces. “Take-out?” he asks, glancing between them. “I don’t feel like cooking.”

His roommates look at each other before nodding. “Take-out,” Hyungwon agrees.

 

 

 

“Have you heard?” Kihyun asks later after they’ve eaten most of their dinner. Changkyun is switching through the channels on the TV, news after news, until he finally settles on some drama. Hyungwon is curled up on the armchair, glasses on and flicking through a book. Kihyun waits until he has Changkyun’s attention before continuing.

“Minhyuk broke up with his boyfriend.”

Hyungwon’s lips curl up into a grin as he watches Changkyun whose ears have turned red, the tips of them burning. “So?” Changkyun asks, trying to keep his tone nonchalant. Hyungwon and Kihyun see right through him. “Is he okay?” That’s what you’re supposed to ask when you find out that your friend-maybe-crush has broken up with his boyfriend, right? He figures yelling out in excitement would be a bit rude.

Hyungwon snorts. “He’s fine,” he says. “They weren’t that serious to begin with.”

Changkyun frowns. “I thought they were serious.”

Now it’s Kihyun’s turn to laugh. “Just because they liked to make out a lot doesn’t mean that they were serious.” He glances at Changkyun. “So, are you happy about this news?”

Changkyun knows that pretending is futile against his best friends who can read him better than anyone else. That, and they have been－maybe unwillingly－subjects to his rants about Minhyuk; varying from how Minhyuk had waved at him (at him! as well as initiating that contact!), to his hour-long crises where he contemplated his life and everything he had done wrong up to the moment where he’d gotten a crush on Minhyuk and how said crush was ruining his life.

(“By doing what?” Kihyun had asked.

“By－by...existing,” Changkyun had lamely replied, staring at the ceiling. “Do you think it’s too late to transfer to another university? Maybe move to another city completely?”

Hyungwon had thrown a pillow at his head.)

Still, Changkyun is nothing but a trier. “Should I be happy?” he asks, eyes focused on the TV. Kihyun and Hyungwon groan in unison.

 

* * *

 

“Changkyun!”

Said boy jumps at the sudden voice and the arm around his shoulder before he realizes who it is and he relaxes. Then Changkyun _really_ realizes who it is and he’s immediately alert again, face growing hot under Minhyuk’s bright smile.

“Hi hyung,” Changkyun greets him, thankful that his voice doesn’t crack under Minhyuk’s attention. A few students pass them; someone accidentally nudges him and Changkyun realizes just how close he is to Minhyuk, their sides pressed together, Minhyuk’s arm around his neck and his hand absently playing with the sleeve of his shirt. He swallows. “What’s up?”

Minhyuk grins, maneuvers them out of the path of another student and onto the grass. “Nothing much,” he replies. “Saw you walking and wanted to say hi. Where’re you headed off to?”

“Uhm.” Changkyun needs a second for his brain to cooperate with him. “About to grab some coffee. Do you－” He hesitates. “Do you wanna join me?”

If possible, Minhyuk’s face brightens up even more. “I’d love to! But－” He glances at Changkyun, a frown making his smile disappear. “The coffee shop that _doesn’t_ prohibit using magic inside, right?”

Changkyun bites back a grin, knowing exactly what Minhyuk was talking about. There was only one coffee shop in the vicinity of their campus which allowed that, a small but cozy shop with a lovely elderly couple as the owners who’d been living in the city for years. It was a popular hang-out spot for the students of their university, more precisely the ones with particular abilities. The owners were magic too, after all.

“Of course,” Changkyun answers and the smile is back on Minhyuk’s face. The wind ruffles Minhyuk’s auburn hair. It suits him but Changkyun sometimes misses his blond hair. Minhyuk’s vibrant personality, coupled with his bright smile, and the blond hair－He’d truly resembled the sun and Changkyun knew better than to go closer. Changkyun’s always been a logical person, has always tried to follow the rules and listen to his head but Minhyuk makes him want to follow what his heart wants, just once.

Watching Minhyuk, studying his side-profile, his eyes catch on something. “What’s that?” he asks. Minhyuk raises his brows and Changkyun points to his own forehead, then nods at Minhyuk. “That scratch?” he clarifies.

“Oh.” Minhyuk lets out a short laugh, fingers ghosting over the scratch on his forehead, a little over his right eyebrow. “I was late to class this morning and took a shortcut and a low hanging branch hit me.”

He laughs again when Changkyun winces. “It doesn’t hurt, don’t worry. It did, in the beginning, but－” He stops, confusion on his face. “Changkyun?” he asks.

With his hand hovering in the air, Changkyun belatedly realizes what he’s doing. He drops his hand back to his side, face burning. “Sorry,” he says. He clenches his hand to a fist, his nails digging into his palm. “I can make it go away. If you want,” he adds awkwardly, shuffling his feet.

Minhyuk doesn’t look weirded out, as Changkyun had expected him to be. Instead, Minhyuk’s eyes widen and his mouth forms an o-shape. “You can do that?” he asks and there’s that smile again. Changkyun’s mouth goes dry.

“Yeah,” he says, slowly lifting his hand again. “Do you trust me?”

“Of course,” Minhyuk replies with no hesitation and grins excitedly.

“It’s not...not that cool,” Changkyun mumbles, cheeks still flushed and ears burning as he lifts his hand to Minhyuk’s face, fingers touching the scratch. A few seconds later and the scratch is gone with no indication that there ever was an injury. Changkyun lets his fingers linger for a second longer, Minhyuk’s skin feeling soft and warm under his touch. He withdraws his hand, bringing it up to scratch at his neck nervously. “Done,” he says, feeling stupid without knowing why.

Minhyuk digs his phone out of his back pocket, his thumb quickly sliding over the screen. He inspects his face in the front camera, touching the spot where the scratch used to be. “Woah,” he whispers. Then, he looks at Changkyun with an expression of awe on his face. “That’s amazing,” he says.

Changkyun tries not to show how much this little compliment means to him. “It’s nothing,” he mumbles, ducking his head shyly.

“It’s not nothing.” Minhyuk playfully pokes him in the side, smiling brightly. “It’s incredible, is what it is.”

Changkyun returns his smile. “Thanks,” he says softly.

Minhyuk’s smile is radiant and Changkyun finds himself flying closer to the sun.

 

* * *

 

“Is my skin supposed to feel all...prickly?” Minhyuk asks, rubbing his forehead. “Not prickly, just...a little sensitive?”

Changkyun smiles knowingly. “It tickles.”

“Yes!” Minhyuk points at him with his spoon, almost knocking his drink over with his elbow. “It tickles. Exactly. Is it supposed to be that way?”

“Yeah.” Changkyun bites down on his bottom lip, trying to keep his smile down. “It goes away after a while. Not at once, it kinda fades away, I suppose?”

Minhyuk is still rubbing his forehead but he’s watching Changkyun, a faint grin around his lips. “I like your smile,” he says out of nowhere. Changkyun supposes his face has been permanently red for two hours now, since Minhyuk greeted him, considering he’s been doing nothing but blush this whole time.

Minhyuk doesn’t notice his red cheeks and if he does, he doesn’t mention it. “Having the ability to heal is pretty cool,” Minhyuk continues, sipping from his straw. “But you don’t think so, right?”

Changkyun shrugs, playing with his napkin. “Everyone thinks I can heal _anything_ but I can’t.” He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “It’s really just small injuries. You can enhance your powers, though.” Frowning, he absently stirs his coffee. “Abilities,” he corrects himself. “They teach courses on that. Broken bones and such. Some bigger injuries too, stab wounds, things like that. If you set your mind to it, that is.” He shrugs, glancing up at Minhyuk who’s been silent, watching him. “I can’t do anything if you cut off your own limp, for example,” he says lightly and Minhyuk grins. “If you cut off a part of your finger, though. That’s the farthest I can go.”

Minhyuk pulls a face. “Ouch. That happened to you?”

Changkyun shakes his head. “Kihyun,” he replies, grinning when he remembers how Kihyun’s scream had echoed throughout the whole apartment after he’d started preparing dinner and how he was a blubbering mess, tears streaming down his face and Hyungwon had to physically hold him back from running out so Changkyun could heal him.

Minhyuk laughs, resting his elbow on the table, leaning his chin on his hand. “And there’s no pain, either,” he murmurs. Changkyun’s suprised that Minhyuk knows this but he doesn’t have a chance to say anything. “Sometimes I wish I had a more normal ability,” Minhyuk continues, eyes unfocused somewhere in the distance. He blinks, then grins at Changkyun. “I’m not complaining. I like mine. And I love magic,” he says and Changkyun can’t help but agree. He couldn’t ever imagine his life without magic, without waking up and seeing Kihyun with another hair color, or finding a brown and white patterned cat napping in the armchair, after Hyungwon had a stressful day, or encountering different people with different abilities every day. He thinks of the girl in his class with her wings whose color change depending on what color she dyes her hair, the boy who can absorb and emit electricity, the barista at this coffee shop who can freeze liquids in no time at all.

“But you can help people,” Minhyuk says, smiling softly at Changkyun. “That’s good. I can’t do that.”

Changkyun taps his fingers nervously on the table before spreading his palm out, his hand lying flat on the wood. Minhyuk’s eyes follow the movement. “What can you do?” Changkyun asks.

Minhyuk’s looking at him with an unreadable expression on his face, the smile still intact but it looks almost sad, and Changkyun’s afraid he said something wrong. He’s about to apologize when he blinks and sees stars in front of his eyes. He blinks again when he realizes that...Minhyuk’s doing that. Minhyuk’s not doing anything, only looking at him, but Changkyun _knows_. He starts focusing on the image in front of him.

Nothing around them has changed. The other customers are still there, there’s still music playing, mixed in with the conversations of the other people, but Changkyun sees stars, _literal_ stars, in front of him, tiny dots glowing brightly as if he was looking up at the night sky, despite the fact that it was the middle of the day.

He blinks again and it’s gone.

Changkyun looks at Minhyuk, opens his mouth, then closes it again. Minhyuk laughs softly. “Look,” he says, holding his hand out. Another blink and there’s a tiny galaxy floating in his palm and Changkyun gasps, leaning closer. “That’s－” he starts but falls silent as he watches the galaxy move, the tiny stars glowing and he even spots a few planets. He remembers when he was a kid and his father took him to the planetarium on weekends and he remembers leaning back in his seat and watching the night sky. It feels exactly like that, in miniature version. “That’s incredible,” he murmurs, glancing up to find Minhyuk’s gaze already on him. It might be his imagination but it seems as if there are stars in Minhyuk’s eyes. “That’s absolutely amazing.”

Minhyuk smiles. Changkyun slowly leans back in his seat and he watches as Minhyuk closes his hand and the galaxy disappears.

“Yeah,” Minhyuk says, flexing his fingers. “I like magic.”

Minhyuk is looking at his hand and Changkyun is looking at Minhyuk. “Me too.”

 

* * *

 

The first thing Changkyun does when he goes over to Jooheon’s apartment is plopping himself down on the couch and screaming into a pillow.

Jooheon kicks his bag away, then sits down cross-legged on the floor, watching Changkyun. “Please be quiet, I have neighbors.”

Changkyun lets out one last weak scream, then turns his head to face Jooheon. “I hate crushes,” he says miserably.

Jooheon grins knowingly. “Tell me everything.”

Changkyun groans, sitting up straight and letting his head fall back. He stares up at the ceiling, frowning. “There’s nothing to tell. I just...need to get over him. As soon as possible.”

He doesn’t even bother trying to hide the gender of his crush. Jooheon is friends with Hyungwon and Hyungwon likes to gossip. And so does Kihyun. Changkyun loves his friends, he really does, but when they tease him about his, sadly, non-existent love life, he gets the sudden urge to move back to America, into his parents’ basement, and cut off all contact with everyone. And lately, these urges have been happening every week rather than, say, every six months like it used to be.

“Or,” Jooheon takes a seat next to him. “You confess.”

Changkyun pulls a face. “Unrealistic. Next.”

“He might reciprocate your feelings.”

“He might not.”

“What if he does?”

“He doesn’t.” Changkyun grabs a pillow and hugs it to his chest. “He really doesn’t.”

“What if he knows about your feelings?” Jooheon suddenly asks. Changkyun stares at him in horror.

“He doesn’t! I’m very careful how I act around him. Well, I blush a lot, but…” Changkyun thinks for a few seconds. “I can just say that I’m socially awkward and uncomfortable around people. Which I am. So, I won’t be lying.”

“You’ll still be lying about your feelings,” Jooheon says.

“What feelings?” Changkyun feigns innocence. “I don’t know any feelings.”

Jooheon chuckles lightly. “What would you do if you had my ability?” he asks.

Changkyun doesn’t think about his answer for long. “Avoid Minhyuk like the plague.”

Jooheon laughs, nudging his shoulder. “C’mon,” he teases.

“I’m not joking,” Changkyun replies. “I’d grow flowers as soon as someone mentioned him. Sorry dude, but I don’t envy you _at all_.”

Sprouting flowers every time he talked to or even thought about the person of his affection wasn’t really Changkyun’s cup of tea. He would prefer it if Minhyuk never found out about his feelings, thank you very much.

Jooheon gives him a small smile. “That’s more than a crush,” he says softly.

Changkyun knows that. His crush stopped being a simple crush a few weeks ago when Minhyuk showed him his trick, as he’d later called it, and Changkyun had looked up to see the stars reflecting in Minhyuk’s eyes. Falling in love with Minhyuk is easy. Actually dealing with this new realization, not so easy.

“Can we just,” Changkyun sighs in defeat, shoulders slumping. “Watch movies the whole night and forget about reality for a while?”

“Deal,” Jooheon says. “You pick the first one while I get the snacks ready.” Changkyun’s gonna have to reconsider his initial plan of moving away and cutting the contact off with everyone. He might stay in touch with Jooheon.

 

* * *

 

Changkyun steps out of the building and immediately spots Minhyuk sitting at one of the tables nearby. He panics, glancing around to search for an escape route, but Minhyuk’s already noticed him, excitedly waving him over. Changkyun nods at him and walks closer, frowning as he notices another person with mint green hair sitting with Minhyuk. Mint green hair. Changkyun’s pretty sure he would’ve remembered if he saw someone on campus with that color.

“Changkyunnie,” Minhyuk greets him as he reaches them, grinning brightly.

“Hi,” Changkyun replies. He can’t even think about the nickname because the other boy has turned around and _Kihyun_ , of all people, is staring at him.

“Wow,” Changkyun says, taking a seat next to Kihyun. He stares at his hair. “Wow.”

“Does that suit me?” Kihyun asks.

Changkyun shakes his head. “Not at all.”

“But do you think the color is nice?”

“I mean,” Changkyun tilts his head, narrowing his eyes. “It’s something else.”

Kihyun scoffs. “Something else,” he repeats. “As in, no one should be able to pull off this color, right?”

“I don’t know,” Changkyun says slowly, glancing at Minhyuk who seems to take pity on him.

“He’s mad because Yoongi can pull off this color,” Minhyuk explains. “And he looks pretty good, if I’m honest.”

“Yoongi,” Changkyun repeats, thinking of the boy whom he shares his Thursday class with. He turns to Kihyun. “Why do you care if he can pull off this color or not?”

“I don’t care,” Kihyun huffs, crossing his arms over his chest. Changkyun watches as the mint green slowly fades away to a light brown. “It’s just...Pink, I get that. But green? Mint green? That’s unusual, isn’t it?”

“Nah,” Minhyuk grins. “You’re just making a big deal out of it because you like him.”

Kihyun glares at him. “I don’t like him,” he says. “I’ve spoken maybe three sentences to him.”

Minhyuk shrugs. “Whatever you say.”

Kihyun doesn’t bother with an answer, instead grabs his bag and gets to his feet. “I gotta get to class,” he says but Changkyun knows it’s a lie. Kihyun’s free for the rest of the day. “See you at home.” He nods at Changkyun, then walks away, waving one last time before disappearing into the crowd. Changkyun turns to face Minhyuk when he hears him laughing.

Minhyuk smiles at him. “Up for coffee?”

Changkyun can’t help but smile back. “Sure.”

They get ready to leave, Changkyun shouldering his bag when Minhyuk’s words stop him. “Cool. It’s a date.”

Changkyun stares at him like a deer caught in the headlights. “S-sorry?” he asks, voice cracking at the end.

Minhyuk looks at him in confusion before his eyes widen. “Oh my God, did Hyungwon mess with me, was he joking, holy shit－”

Changkyun only hears _Hyungwon_ and knows something’s up. “Wait, wait,” he interrupts Minhyuk’s rambling. “What did Hyungwon tell you?”

Minhyuk musters up an awkward smile. “That you...had a crush on me?” he asks, shuffling his feet.

Changkyun feels his face heat up. “Oh,” he says, gripping the strap of his bag tightly. “That’s...oh.”

“Was he lying?” Minhyuk asks. He looks genuinely concerned, biting his lower lip raw and this side of Minhyuk is completely different than his usual bright personality. “Because if you do, then...that’s good.”

Changkyun blinks at him, the words not registering in his head. “What?” he asks dumbly.

This time when Minhyuk smiles, it’s small but soft. “I’ve liked you since we met,” he says. “So, is it...y’know, a date?”

“Yeah,” Changkyun replies faintly. His heart is beating too fast in his chest and his cheeks are flushed but he’s smiling and so is Minhyuk. “It’s a date.”

  
  


When Minhyuk kisses him later, the last thing Changkyun sees before closing his eyes are tiny glowing stars and planets.


End file.
